When Life Hands You Cheap Lemons- Dollar Tree Spring Wreath

Mother Nature hates Chicago.
With a passion.
And she is takin' no prisoners.
Like we are under a winter weather advisory hates us.
And the high this week?
39 degrees.
To be clear, it is usually in the 50s by now.
I have actually had a violent reaction when watching the weather report this week.
Doesn't Paul Konrad know that I am supposed to start running next week?
OUTSIDE?????
OK I am sorry.
I am so tired this morning.
Had a great full weekend....went to a blogging event with a bestie, the oldest had a sleepover bday party, and St. Patricks Day.
You know, corned beef eating and alcohol drinking is exhaaaausting.
Hope you had a great weekend and I hope it is above freezing where you live.



I have been in a Dollar Tree craft funk for a while now.
Think almost a year funk.
But I am not taking responsibility.
They really have given me no inspiration.
In fact, they have had the same exact items in their "craft" section since 2010.
Way to stay current Dollar Tree.

So this craft was out of necessity.
Because I had no real spring wreath in my home.
Not that I needed one but wouldn't it be nice to have one?
And not pay more than 10 bucks for it?
Even the craptastic fake flower wreaths at CVS were 20 bucks.
Really, CVS?
Really?

So I was on a mission.
To create a cool spring wreath that wouldn't make me gag when I went to fork over the money for it.
And that I would love to look at each day.
Think I could do it?
Bring. It. On.


Here is what I gathered at my local DT:

- one small floral foam wreath

 

- three packages of fake mini lemons

 

 

 

 

 

Then I went to my basement craft cemetery and found some old burlap.

I got this stuff back in 2010 at Hobby Lobby and have used it for so many projects.

Best six bucks I ever spent.

 

 

 

Here is what my table looks like when I go through a "craft explosion".
Meaning, I think of four different projects at once.
I can go through a project draught that lasts six months and then suddenly...boom!....I get these ideas.
All. At. Once.

So take the burlap, cut it into strips (they don't have to be even ....perfect for low standard me!) and start wrapping the burlap around the foam wreath and glue with a hot glue gun.
The shorter the strips, the easier it is to wrap around and you won't have big gaps in the burlap.
And repeat until it looks like this:

You don't want it to look perfect.
So if there are scragglies and loose ends?
Perfect.
Burlap is supposed to be rustic.
Not hospital corners perfect.



Then I glued my little lemons onto the burlap with a hot glue gun:

Until it looks like this:

 

 

 

Gluing the lemons took me about 5 minutes.
The burlap, probably 10 minutes.
So not only a cheap project but one you can finish in less than a half hour.
It actually only took me 20 minutes from start to finish.
And here is the big reveal!

See my daughter's soccer sock hanging out of her soccer bag?

Yeah.

You are welcome.

For keepin' it real.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The felt ric rac is from Michael's.

I got it this summer for 80% off.

Spent maybe 25 cents on it.

I just hot glued the seams together to create a hanger.

 

 

I still don't know how I feel about that color ric rac with the lemons and the burlap.
I wanted off white but didn't have off white so worked with what I had.
What do you think?

Cost to make:

- three bags of mini lemons (it took almost all three bags....I had 2 mini lemons left) - 3.00

- one small floral wreath form (this was the only size they had at my Dollar Tree) - 1.00

- burlap (already had from 2010 but it cost me 6 bucks for a yard, I believe at the time bc it was on sale)

- ric rac (or ribbon....I would use ribbon if I could re-do this...) 25 cents

Total cost to make this spring wreath- $4.25



See?
Dollar Tree does it again.
But don't expect another DT craft for two more years.
;)